CVE-2021-44369 in RLC-410W
Summary
by MITRE • 01/29/2022
A denial of service vulnerability exists in the cgiserver.cgi JSON command parser functionality of reolink RLC-410W v3.0.0.136_20121102. A specially-crafted HTTP request can lead to a reboot. SetNtp param is not object. An attacker can send an HTTP request to trigger this vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-44369 represents a critical denial of service condition within the cgiserver.cgi component of reolink RLC-410W firmware version 3.0.0.136_20121102. This issue manifests through the JSON command parser functionality that processes HTTP requests directed to the device's web interface. The flaw specifically affects the handling of the SetNtp parameter within the JSON payload, creating a scenario where malformed input can cause the device to crash and subsequently reboot. The vulnerability exists in the device's web server implementation that fails to properly validate incoming JSON structures before processing them, making it susceptible to exploitation through carefully crafted HTTP requests.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the JSON parser implementation. When an attacker submits an HTTP request containing a malformed SetNtp parameter that is not properly structured as a JSON object, the cgiserver.cgi component fails to handle this invalid input gracefully. This parsing error triggers a system-level crash that results in an automatic device reboot, effectively denying legitimate users access to the surveillance camera's functionality. The vulnerability demonstrates a classic buffer over-read or improper state handling issue that falls under CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, though the specific manifestation here involves memory corruption during JSON parsing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption as it creates a persistent availability threat for security monitoring systems. Organizations relying on reolink RLC-410W cameras for surveillance purposes face potential security gaps when these devices are subjected to reboot attacks, particularly in environments where continuous monitoring is critical. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication requirements, making it particularly dangerous as it allows any network-accessible attacker to disrupt camera operations. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.001 which covers network denial of service attacks, and T1566.001 for social engineering via malicious web content that could be used to deliver the exploit.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate firmware updates from reolink to address the JSON parsing implementation flaws. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to restrict HTTP access to these devices to trusted networks only, while also considering network segmentation to isolate surveillance equipment from general network traffic. The vulnerability highlights the importance of input validation and proper error handling in web server components, particularly in embedded systems where resource constraints may limit robust security implementations. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect unusual reboot patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, as well as establishing incident response procedures specifically for dealing with device availability attacks in security infrastructure deployments.